Skip next section Thousands of school students protest against military service May 8, 2026 Thousands of school students protest against military service Police in Berlin estimated that approximately 1,200 people participated in the protest Image: Volodymyr Sindieiev/Anadolu/picture alliance Across Germany, tens of thousands of school students protested against a possible return to compulsory military service . Under the slogan "School strike against mandatory military service," rallies and demonstrations took place in dozens of cities on May 8, the anniversary of the end of World War II. In Berlin, police estimated that around 1,200 people marched from the Brandenburg Gate to the headquarters of the CDU , Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative party. They carried signs that read: "Education instead of bombs" and "Berlin instead of the front lines." Organizers estimated the turnout at 5,000.…